3. Jordan McLaughlin
The Los Angeles Lakers add to the point guard position
Contract: Two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
From an on-court perspective, Naz Reid is the most desirable cheap piece on the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he’s only 21 years old and will be a great trade chip down the line or Karl Anthony-Towns insurance if he decides to force a trade out of Minnesota.
Jordan McLaughlin is currently on a two-way contract, and as such, probably isn’t going anywhere. However, Ricky Rubio’s contract is unmovable, and McLaughlin will be buried on the depth-chart once D’Angelo Russell returns from injury and Malik Beasley returns from suspension. Therefore, it’s possible that the Wolves front-office value a future draft-pick over McLaughlin.
McLaughlin is an attractive potential fit on the Los Angeles Lakers. In limited minutes this season, he’s shown regression as an outside shooter (38.2% as a rookie, 34.8% this season) and proven to be inefficient in general (37.6% from the field). Scoring is not a strength of McLaughlin’s game, and he may never even become league-average in that department.
However, with Alex Caruso in concussion protocol, the Lakers are incredibly thin at the point guard position behind Dennis Schroder. McLaughlin presents an opportunity to acquire an underrated passer for next to zero cost.
He ranks in the 97th percentile for assist points per 75 possessions and the 99th percentile for high-value assists per 75 possessions. His per-36 minute assist numbers are eye-popping, with 8.7 per game. While McLaughlin would almost certainly never even play thirty minutes, he’d provide immense value as a second-unit playmaker.
McLaughlin’s Defensive LEBRON ranking is in the 64th percentile, solid but nothing spectacular. However, this ranking doesn’t do justice to how disruptive he is as a perimeter defender.
McLaughlin ranks in the 98th percentile for steals per 75 possessions, the 94th percentile for deflections per 75 possessions, the 94th percentile for passing lane defense, and the 91st percentile for loose ball recovery rate. His terrible teammates likely impact his overall defensive grade, but in a vacuum, it’s apparent that McLaughlin is a force to be reckoned with as a perimeter defender.
It wouldn’t hurt the Lakers’ front-office to call Minnesota and see what value they place on the 24-year-old.
Which role-players would you like to see the Los Angeles Lakers target from the Western Conference’s worst teams? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!